Reborn
by Pilar Ann
Summary: I was supposedly dead, but she saved me, and disappeared without a trace.
1. choice

"_Captain Kurotsuchi.. isn't that.."_

Painted blue nails, made light taps over the metallic counter top. A sneer making its way through his skull like visage. In that sharp knowing tone, his lips parted making way to a reply..

"_Hai. I knew she would come, Hitsugaya-Taichu"_

A smile crept its way toward Mayori Kurotsuchi's painted lips, his golden eyes beaming in anticipation. Monitors glowed, illuminating the otherwise dark room. Faint beeping sounds could be heard resonating within the closed facility. Turning his head to the side, he addressed a green eyed woman, slender in built with black hair, in slightly parted bangs pulled out into a long braid.

"_Nemu.. remove the barriers"_

"_Hai, Mayori-sama."_

Bowing swiftly, said shinigami obeyed her commands dutifully; and as a light click resounded in the room, all eyes were glued to the monitor, depicting a hooded figure standing before a huge glass door as it looked over the glowing glass case, situated in the heart of the mirrored room.

* * *

She felt them. Spiritual energies of captain class. Being well aware she was being watched was an understatement, she could sense each and everyone of them. 2, 3..? No. More were coming. To this she shook her head as pink tresses peeked out of her white oversized hood.

Tracing her hands over the glass door that blocked her path, slender fingers making light swirls over clear surface. Seemingly calm on the outside, the hooded cape obscuring the annoyance piled up in her system, evident in the twitching eyes she sported; as the seconds ticked, the desire to shatter everything with her blades increasingly sounded like a wonderful idea. Puffing up air, strands of pink hair fanned to the side of her face. '_I am not as patient as my Master'_ grinning to herself, those pale hands ceased their swirling motions and planted itself firmly on the glass door, faintly glowing pink. But as the thought of complete destruction crossed her mind, she felt the exerted force negated. 'Spirit Reducing Stones'..

Lids closed firmly as a string of profanities were lined up in her mind _specifically aimed _for a certain blue-haired painted man of golden orbs. Eyes narrowed as she spoke through gritted teeth... _'keep pissing me off, Mayori..'_ knuckles cracking, she readied herself. With a wide even stance, her legs firmly underneath her; moving her heels at about shoulder width, she pulled her closed fists to the side and sneered. _"brute force it is then." _Adrenaline filled her system as her fists inched closer to the double door stock-filled with Sekkiseki..

Her fisted hands came at an abrupt stop, as a light click sounded. _'saved by the bell'_ she sang, rolling her eyeballs in sarcasm. With the go signal sent, she flipped the length of her cape, and tucked the loose strands of hair behind her ear. Sandals lightly tapping the floor beneath, the light swish of opening doors plated a smirk on her beautiful features, as they parted she swiftly flowed within welcomed by the cold mist and the eerie faint sounds of a beeping monitor.

* * *

Shuffling noises were heard as Mayori noted mentally the increase in his occupancy rate.

"_Man, that was disappointing! What I would give to see her shatter those barehanded!" _a tall, lean built-man with a bald head exclaimed loudly. Earning death glares from everyone in the room. He rubbed his left cheek as he snorted in disappointment.

To this, a beautiful man flipped his jaw lengthed black hair, ands sighed. _"THAT was unladylike!"_ he raised his chin up and added "I_ would never EVER allow myself to be seen sporting such ungraceful moves"_. His narcissistic tendencies were stopped as a squeak escaped his lips. Over-sized breasts feasted itself on his HAIR, thereby messing them up, and making him less "prettier" than he usually was.

"A_ww.. Yumi-chaaan!"_ came a sweet voice, as she wiggled herself closer to him._ "Give it to her, neh?" _Yumichika groaned in annoyance as he shoved Matsumoto Rangiku away, patting his hair back in place. Her cheery personality however dawned a sad one as she said _"with that strong bond she has with her wielder.." _looking away.. she sighed _"..its.. understandable."_

___"Every single day, not even a second late." _came the soft interjection from a gentle looking woman with braided hair. _"She has NEVER faltered."_

Hearing this, Kurotsuchi Mayori bared his sharp evened teeth. "_Hai.." _came his cryptic reply._ "but we all know.."_ his eyes gleamed, _"that today.."_ tongue made contact with his lower lip._. "will be different.."_ and the monitor glowed a deathly pink.

* * *

A sigh escaped her pink lips as the hooded cape came down in a soft pool beneath her. Warm pink tresses that go all the way down to her hips revealed itself, creamy porcelain skin illuminated by the faint glow of the glass case. With downcast eyes, her lips trembled as she stared down at what lies, at _who lies _in the glass coffin.

Her entire being glowed the shade of corals as the command left her lips.._ "scatter"_, and soft pink petals flowed around the room.

A light sheen of sweat was visible in her forehead as her face tilted to the side, slowly looking upwards straight through the corner, emerald orbs piercing through the monitor, knowing who was behind them.

* * *

__Mayori clasped his hands in glee, clearly impressed that the _Lady _before him was aware of where he was. The smile that seemed to have carved itself permanently on his painted face grew wider as he motioned to push the buttons that would lift the glass case in the holding cell. His hands slowly inched forward as smaller ones gripped him sternly on the wrists. To this, eyes the shade of the deep sea clashed with the golden ones._  
_

_"__Hitsugaya-Taichu.."_ blue nails effectively pushed the buttons down., hard. "I___ know what I'm doing."_**  
**

"_Nemu! Increase the security around the holding room." _

"_Hai, Mayori-sama"_ and huge amounts spiritual force was felt surrounding the entire facility.

Hitsugaya's hands dropped in tight fists to his side, eyes intently focused on the scene before him. A short, petite girl with violet eyes stands uncomfortably. _"nii-sama.." _she whispers. Her uneasy movements didn't remain un-noticed to everyone in the room. A hand comfortingly squeezed her shoulders, enough to keep her in place, soft kind eyes the color of jade peered through her short figure, the man with white smiled. _"Its going to be fine, Rukia-chan." _and his eyes took on a serious expression as he focused them back unto the monitor. Soon enough, murmurs could be heard within the closed facility.

With the glass case opened fully, the roseate smiled through the monitor and bowed gracefully. Almost excitedly, Her gaze fixated itself on the figure laid down on the soft white bed.

"_she's beautiful!" _

_"you've been saying that since day1!"_

_"so?" _came a derisive snort. _"she IS beautiful!"_

A sweet voice came butting in ".._but of course! She's Captain Kuchikis' Zenbon Sakura." _

"_she cant be prettier than I am!" _came a reply.

With golden eyes twitching in obvious annoyance, Mayori's voice came in a quiet whisper _"if you cant keep your filthy mouth shut.. LEAVE this instant. Or would you like to have those limbs donated for my research?" _the truth behind those words were more than enough to silence the entire room and leave cold sweat running through their system.

* * *

Emerald orbs stared at the still figure. That long black hair, those intricate hair "clips", which he insisted be called hairpiece instead. Really. There isn't much of a difference. The kenseikan she tried to steal for SOOOO many times, with grave consequences at each successful attempt. With this memory a light chuckle made its way to her throat. Composing herself, she looked at him even more. That pale skin, those aristocratic features than can only go so well with him.. her eyes softened considerably as she stared at him.

"_Byakuya-sama"_

The scattered petals glowed and the beautiful figure shivered, closing her eyes as creamy hands paled to glow a deathly pink. She cringed as pain made itself felt in her system, a sucking force that keeps getting stronger by the second. She felt her soul rip, eaten, absorbed, greedily and she _oh so_ willingly gave them to the man before her. Byakuya's form started to twitch and everyone behind the monitor was on edge. The beeping sound became more audible, stronger as more spiritual energy was transferred from her to him.

A groan escaped her now pale lips as she keeled over, effectively stopping herself in the last minute, however, the process ceased as the woman jerked. Eyes widening as cold _cold _hands wrapped itself over her wrists, the command clearly dispelled as soft pink petals fell down to the floor, dulled over. She felt her throat dry up, when Emerald orbs locked with slate grey ones. Breaking contact she fidgeted in place and tried to wriggle her hands free. A frown marred Byakuya's otherwise emotionless expression as he tightened his hold on her. Reclaiming her eyes, he spoke..

"_I told you to stop this."_

He held my eyes in such force that they stung. Memories of him rushed like broken dam, but this was no time for reminiscing. Shaking thoughts out of my head, my hands curled into tight fists, as guilt consumed me. I knew it was futile. _God i knew it was in vain._ His body could no longer generate its own spiritual force, it cannot, no. Scratch that, it will never recover. I tried, _for days_ following _His death,_ I fed him my soul. Every single day, hoping to jump start his system. Hoping that with enough pressure he's soul will relearn the process necessary to recuperate. But no, it kept getting worst, it just kept getting worst! day by day, it needed more. Feeding it extended his life, but ultimately, its all it can do. He was set for death.

Panic crossed my features. _No! If only, if only more people would give him their spiritual energies, then he will.. he can.._ My panicked self calmed, resigning to the bitter truth. Wrong. Its not that no one can, or no one will do so for that matter.

I looked at him once again, biting my lips hard as reality hit me over and over. Its not that simple. He's not sick. He's dying, and that makes all the difference. His soul doesn't merely need energy, it craves a soul. Much like hallows do. No one can give spiritual energies without having their souls sucked out, Soul Society has exerted much effort to save him. To no avail, only we, _Zanpaktou's_ famed for immortality, can continuously supply parts of our soul and recuperate in a day's rate. I smiled at the thought of how _my family _offered to help. However, _his soul,_ only accepts mine. With such deranged thinking, i was even happy. To know that at the very least, up to the very end, my bond with_ Byakuya.. sama_ was that strong. But this happy thought was cut short, as the particles i can give him, have never been enough.

My eyes focused back on the man I served for decades if not hundreds of years as I felt my wrists were freed from his tight grip. Tears gathered at the corner of my eyes as I watched him slowly raise his own hands to eyelevel. I watched him, painfully, as his eyes narrowed at his slowly disappearing self, becoming more and more translucent by the second.

_'dont waste your time on a lost cause'_

_'dont prolong his agony'_

_'a man of nobility such as him, death is more favorable, than living in this state'_

_'stop it Sakura'_

_'let him rest'_

Words. All those words! _They don't understand a thing—how could they allow him to die like this?_ Her hands clutched her head, eyes shut tight, trying to drown the voices away as it seemed to be in vain. A scream seemed to work its way to her lips as she effectively suppressed it. In the verge of breaking up, her emerald orbs glistened with unshed tears as another thought crossed her mind.

* * *

_A short, young woman with distraught violet eyes, stumbled at my feet, her small hands pulled at my worn kimono. Blood splattered over her body, she gripped my hands tight, almost painfully. Her eyes were wild and frantic, and her words came out in a rush.._

_'You can save him!Your the only one who can! Please.. PLEASE Sakura-san.."_

_A crimson haired man, locked eyes with me. Apology clearly written in his brown orbs. "Rukia, stop. Your brother wouldn't want you like this. Lets go" _

_And he reached for the small woman's worn figure. 'please.. please Sakura-san!' she begged, so heartbreaking, that my eyes stung._

Her eyes snapped open at the memory. Dropping her hands to the side, she gripped her white kimono embroidered with intricate sakura-blossoms. Hope renewed, she braced herself. The fallen blades now slowly gathering light.

* * *

_Its forbidden. But success is a hundred percent guaranteed. The consequences however.._

She pursed her lips in a tight line. A serious look now evident in her features. As the people behind the monitors stared intently. For the second time that night, she locked eyes with the golden eyed man, emerald orbs gleaming with determination as she nodded and raised her hands towards Byakuya's still form.

* * *

As her nod signaled the sealing of their deal.

Mayori licks his upper lip in anticipation, leaning closer towards the wide screen before him. As it bursts in pink flames, a scream tearing down the silence, with a terrifying load of spiritual pressure racking the entire facility, sending blares of red across the entire room and shinigami of all levels sent in panic frenzy towards the holding cell.

* * *

**Author's corner:**

how was it? -fidgets- -biting lower lips nervously-

Its my first attempt at cross overs and honestly, an attempt at writing after a very long time.

Very few Byaku-Saku fics around neh? But I love the pair-up very much. Next chapter will wrap up everything., I guess. -frowns-

Thank you for dropping by. Extremely thankful.

Pilar Ann


	2. opened doors

With an aching heart, my hands involuntarily reached out to cup his face. Knowing it will be the last time, I stared at him, taking in all of him. His eyes, those raven locks spread across the white sheets. She traced his features with her eyes. His beautifully sculpted features, she raked him over fully, not missing a speck. And i smiled as realization dawned on me, _that never, in this lifetime or whatever was to come, will i get enough of this man._

His eyes fluttered open, _struggling, _that she never failed to miss,weary and tired. A ghost of a smile making its way to his lips, as he surveyed himself more. Looking through his slowly fading self, he spoke, _so softly_ I was barely able to catch it. Nonetheless, I did and i regretted being able to do so as my heart constricted at his words, feeling a burning sensation rise in my chest. I couldn't help but freeze as he spoke _her _name.

.

'_Hisana..'_

I wanted to drown the gentleness that came with his voice, the voice that was rarely filled with emotions. She felt her throat dry up, and her eyes glazing over, as she remembered that day he lost her. That day she felt such shame, for even allowing hope to rise in her, as she saw the raw sadness in his eyes, the bitterness laced in his every word, the resilience with which he held himself striving to keep his promise, all for the woman he lost and _loved. _Thinking that was all the pain she could feel, her eyes widened at the lines that followed.

.

_'I'll be with you soon'_

My outstretched hands froze in place, abruptly closing my eyes to hide the pain i knew was there. I smiled bitterly my hands recoiling in place, till i felt my hands sting, it vaguely registered that i was wringing them. Biting my lips to keep them from quivering, I eyed him carefully. Clearly deep in thought, which i _dont _want to even know, I swallowed the bitter taste of that feeling I could now label as envy, for that woman,'_Hisana? Was that her name?' _yeah. _Hisana._

My eyes glazed over, as thoughts of the past crossed my memory once again. Before I could even stop myself, I have called unto him.._'Neh, Byakuya..' _the honorific gone. I stared into space as I waited his reply. He eyed me openly, waiting for me to speak. Realizing that his response was much expected, i heard a dark, rich voice..

.

_"What is it?"_ Was all he said, no facial expression whatsoever. _do you still love her? will you be mad at me? have you ever.. _i shook my head at all the bold thoughts.. There was a bit of an awkward silence as I settled down in his bed, before I finally found something to say.

.

_'Do you remember the first time we met?' _my eyes zeroed in on him. An expectant gaze as i followed his vision.

..

..

Silence.

When I was so convinced He didn't really care, I was quite surprised when his voice reached me, my slumped shoulders straightening themselves when he's eyes flickered to meet mine. Taking me in swiftly, systematically, and my jaw dropped in shock as he gave a quiet scoff.. _did Byakuya just..? _I blinked a couple of times and saw a smirk graze his lips..

.

.

_"which one?"_

I gasped at his reply, my upper body twisting towards him in obvious bewilderment., as the feeling settled down I felt my eyes narrow and instinctively my arms reached out to punch him, a rogue tint appearing on my cheeks and a small, barely visible smile on his lips. I inched closer to him and harrumphed, crossing my arms and beginning to pout excessively.

_._

_"Your mean, Byakuya-sama". _He smirked, and in a quiet voice responded,

_'All three occasions were memorable Sakura'_

_'Three. __Oh.__. he finally knows it was me'_ My eyes focused back on him excitedly, as he stared on the mirrored wall.

_'It took some time. But your temper blew your cover..' _

_._

_._

_'little boy'_ at his words, my mind drifted back to memory lane. To that_ fateful day_, Kuchiki Byakuya and I _met_.

* * *

A hundred or so years ago.. that long. Byakuya-sama, back then was a _teenager. _Temperamental, proud to the brim, irritable, and so so young. It was late night, and I was secretly following him. I knew it was dangerous, considering his energy level.. but my selfishness got the better of me and I continued to stalk him.. This he was unaware of, i was awesome at hiding you see.

'_damn Yuroichi, that annoying cat'_ came the muttering sounds from a young man, whose slate grey eyes were twitching in agitation. _'clearly. She does NOT understand the essence of being a NOBLE'. _a row of complaints can be heard from the young man, the future head of the Kuchiki Family.

Said young man's aura resonated of bleak annoyance, so dark no one would dare to cross paths with him. However, it seemed fate was toying with him today. As he walked the desserted streets of Rukongai, he stiffened in place as he felt the presence of a hollow. _wait, no.. HOLLOWS._ He palmed his face in annoyance,_ 'I'm low in spiritual pressure. With that intense training..'_ The energies he felt in the atmosphere drowned his complaints, on instinct his posture stiffened, his hands automatically found itself gripping the hilt of his make-shift sword, as the real ones were taken by _that annoying girl, _and prepared to strike, no wait..

_dodge._

A clawed hand attacked him, as he swerved his body to the side, the attack meant for him hit the ground creating a huge crater in its wake. '_damn. this hollow is strong..'_ Strikes upon strikes came at him continuously, luckily he dodged all of them. _'all those trainings paid off. none the less, im terribly low on spirit force'_

The hollow swung at him, without mercy, a fast creature it was and he was momentarily glad that _the annoying girl _was his _"sparring mate"_, the swiftness by which the creature moved was nothing compared to her skills, as much as he hated to admit them. Gathering as much reiatsu as he can spare, mentally calculating the force necessary to wipe this hollow off soul society, _for good _he enunciated; he forced his energy towards the end of his make-shift blade and lunged to strike. Hitting his target fully, breaking its mask as it howled and disappeared. Three more came at him and he mentally wondered what was bringing them in, they seemed attracted to a particular thing, like a metal toward a magnets pulling force.

Minutes later, a tired, worn out Kuchiki Byakuya, laid sprawled on the open field. _Five hollows, my reserves seriously depleted to a zero. I can barely even move._ As I momentarily considered resting to recover, snickering sounds coming from the forest a few meters away reached me. I wanted to slap myself mentally, _'such luck'. _Soon enough, 6 men, six big men way older than him, even thrice my size or more strolled towards the unrecognizable clearing . He couldn't clearly see, much as Byakuya was skilled in swordsmanship and one-on-one combat, defeating hollows in a row following his intense training with the _annoying cat_.. isn't one, any normal child his age would be able to accomplish.

Sighing, he gathered the remaining strength he had and stood up. Gripping his sword's hilt, he eyed them warily.

.

_'what do you want?'_ came the crisp reply.

_'ohh.. a shinigami..'_ he smelled of alcohol and booze, Byakuya noted mentally. The outskirts of rukongai certainly wasn't the best place to be at times like this. _'fight us!'_

_'i dont have time for this'_ and as Byakuya made to pass the rowdy men, two made their move and striked at him with katana's.

Byakuya's eyes narrowed. '_katana's? such weapons for people who can barely control their reasonings.'_

_"You leave me with no choice"_ as he made to strike, a hand clumped itself on his wrist, making his sword drop to the ground. And before he even knew what was happening, he was dragged by a small _kid? yeah.. a KID.. _who was particularly strong. he decided as this kid was able to DRAG him.. THE kuchiki Byakuya was being dragged across the fields.

_'Let Go!'_ he tried to break free, but the _kids _hold was strong, his attempts were futile. He could barely keep up with him, he was _fast._ _Whats with all the fast creatures today?_ He tried to figure out who the stranger was, noting he was a boy, what with that short cropped hair, the color he could barely make out in the dark. As they run, Byakuya almost,_ ALMOST_ tripped, to this the _kid _stopped. Looking at him worriedly, he couldnt make out the strangers face as he wore a mask over it, said stranger apologized and let his hand go. He looked at his burning wrist and realized a bruise was starting to form over it. _'strong. yeah.. really'_

_"This place is safe"_ i heard him say. I stared as he made to sit on the edge of the cliff. As I looked around, I noticed we were in a field atop a cliff. We were indeed far away from those men, as i can no longer sense them. The view was peaceful, the skies painted with tints of oranges, reds and pink, the creeping rays glowing on the _kids _form. Reverting back, a scowl appeared on my lips as I addressed him.

_'Who are you?' _hostility ebbed on my tone. To this, he replied _'you dont have to know'_. and his face focused back on the rising sun. My eyes twitched at the reply, '_how dare this fellow ignore me?'_ agitated beyond my limits I continued to interrogate him,

_'Why did you do that?'_ my voice laced with annoyance that I saw him cringe. A small voice reached my hearing, soft but solid, holding authority I was amazed for a moment that such a small form could resonate such, but this amazement was cut short with the reply that threw me over the edge.

He turned to me, those eyes peering behind the holes in his mask locked with mine for half a second as he spoke.. _'You would have died, or beaten up badly. A good warrior knows when to retreat.'_

A vein popped in my neck as I controlled myself from lashing out. This action is unbecoming of a noble as myself, however, this is _JUST TOO MUCH._ This _kid_ how dare he decide on my behalf. Worn out, energy depleted, annoyed to the brim, Byakuya huffed, crossed his arms and bellowed.

.

_'Little Boy, do you even know who I am?'_

He saw him stiffen. A deadly aura resonating around him. Byakuya gulped. This kid., he was aware he's strong, that tingling sensation in his wrist from that hold affirmed such, and apart from that he can sense it, that spiritual pressure, in his current state a fair battle would not be possible.

The boy stood up,_ 'what did you say?'_ Byakuya instinctively took a step back. I saw him remove his mask and discarded it to the side, it may have been my imagination but the ground appeared to have dented at its fall,_ 'it couldn't be that heavy, can it?'.. _I saw him getting nearer, his pink cropped hair swaying in the wind,

wait..

.

.

_pink?_

_._

_._

_'you have pink hair?' _The boy stiffened. Wrong move, he decided. He couldn't see his face as they were downcast, He swallowed and the words that followed triggered actions that sent him spiraling down to hell.

_'hey.. yeah.. i feel you. What a harsh thing for fate to done men with pink hair'_

.

.

He nodded understandingly. No wonder he was masked. As he was contemplating this reality rather seriously, he was glad he was gifted with black ebony locks. If he were given pink, man, he'd.. his thoughts were cut short as he felt himself lift off the ground.. pain made itself felt in his system, as fisted hands collided with his jaw. He stumbled down the grass, and immediately brought his hand up to try and numb the pain, as he felt another force against his stomach.

_'ouch'_ he winced.

_'what the hell?'_ and he saw the boy, sitting on top of him, cheeks puffed up and eyes red, trying to keep the tears at bay,

_"hey.. alright! ALRIGHT! im sorry.. YOUR heavy!"_

_._

_. .silence_

_._

_._

_'how dare you call me heavy!'_ and to this he earned a slap across the cheek.

_'hey! your acting like a girl'_ with his words, a sob was heard. And he stared at the _boy _before him. Taking in his features more seriously.

.

.

His pink hair was cropped short, his eyes the color of emerald, _his favorite stone, _now un-obscured were the largest, most captivating eyes he had seen, those eyes where framed by lashes so long they seemed to tangle in places, her button down nose, and those flush cheeks that contrasted with _his _creamy complexion appeared to be a bit chubby, but _cute._ Those lips, _pink.._ he dare say was in a shape that appeared to be always pouting.. he gulped. As his eyes wandered, to his err- _her ..no.. whatever.. _**the** neck down to the exposed collarbone.. to the heaving shoulders.. feminine in build, judging from the way it curved.. he blinked.. _and with the truth dawning on him and the position they were in.._ his cheeks flushed.

.

.

_'your a..'_ gulp. he looked away, embarrassed.

_'your.. a girl?'_ the hesitance in his voice was so clear, it once again earned him a slap that resonated across the otherwise silent cliff side. The girl stood up and pulled him to his feet, clearly agitated only to punch him square on the face and made her move to leave; the sounds her heavy footfalls were making across the grassy patch hinted at the anger she was currently sporting.

Before the young Kuchiki could stop himself he had reached out to hold her wrist., '_wait..'_ he noted that they were soft and smooth to the touch, shaking this off along with the heat that he felt climb his cheeks.. he debated with himself, and in the end mumbled a slurred out apology. _'im.. im sorry.. I'_

she sniffled and nodded lightly, rubbing her eyes.. she looked at him fully and smiled.

A rogue tint crossed the young Byakuya's cheeks, _'she's..pre... no.. cut.. she's a girl.. she yeah.. okay.'_ he settled.

The young girl stared at him curiosuly and he realized that he was still holding her hand in his. He let go abruptly.. seemingly burned. He tilted his head to the side.. and stood there awkwardly_ 'i never got her name..'_

Curiosity getting the better of him he made to ask just that but it came out all wrong when he noticed her hair once again.. reaching out to hold a strand in his, he fingered them slowly _'soft.. and silky..'_ he nodded in approval, oblivious to the blushing girl before him.. but the spell was gone as the next line escaped his lips.

.

_'your hair... '_ she looked at him expectantly..

_._

_'really. with its length.." _he locked eyes with her..

_._

_"anyone can mistake you for a guy..' _He saw her eyes blink twice, before everything blurred down to darkness. Kuchiki Byakuya never knew what hit him.

...

...

...

The next day however, Byakuya woke up in the Kuchiki estate, with 2 red marks on his otherwise blemish free skin, a bruised and crooked nose, a blackened eye dropping slightly, to a laughing Yuroichi Shihoen perched on his open window . Two consecutive days, he sighed. But if there's one thing he regretted, he was never able to get her name.. and he was confused for a moment, as to the reasons for this desire. He figured, that it was because he owed her. She somehow saved him, and for that, he tried to convince himself.. was why he desired to know her. For the days to follow, he searched Rukongai, but he never saw the pret- the cu-. that little _boy _again.

* * *

The memory brought laughter to sakura, and the slightest tinge of pink was evident in Byakuya's face.

.

.

_"Byakuya-sama!'_ she giggled.. _"you.. you were soo funny" _She let the giggles tear through her body.

.

.

His brow raised ever so slightly, "says_ the masked little BOY", _Sakura's eyes rolled in response. _"who could break your arm in a flash" _she retorted, chin held up. She heard a light chuckle.. as he replied weakly. _"yeah"_ he acquiesced.

.

.

I found his approval rather off. Then I noticed his gaze at the mirrored wall. Staring at his fading self. A wave of sadness filled me, and i strengthened my resolve.

.

.

_"Byakuya-sama.. forgive me.. but.. I.."_ I smiled at him as he looked at me. Understanding mirrored in his dulled grey eyes. Gathering the courage, i reached out to touch his face, tracing my fingers over his now closed lids, those soft lashes that rivaled mine, his prominent jaw.. as my hands lingered over his lips, i felt him stiffen before me. His eyes fluttered open and dull grey orbs locked with mine with such finality my eyes glistened. _He was dying_, fast before my eyes. _He's leaving, permanently,_ to that I was aware.

.

My eyes stung as I fought back the tears. But knowing i'll never get to see him again, or.. _will never be allowed to do so_ my lids dropped, tears dropping in his pale, smooth cheeks. I felt the moisture on my cheeks replaced with a cold touch, as he whispered..

.

.

_"hey, ugly"_

I laughed. That _pet-name,_ if it were other circumstances it would have ended up with a spar. But I only smiled,_ bitterly._ Tears flowing rapidly that a scowl appeared on his face.

.

.

_"Ugly, are you trying to drown me?"_

Came his annoyed voice. Laughing, I stared at him, hard. As i dried the rest of my tears away. I saw his eyes flicker to the side, watching his reflection once again. He was disappearing, he's spiritual pressure fading, he's dying. He smiled contentedly, the once confident shoulders were slightly hunched as if he were tired of living, closed his eyes and whispered..

.

_"Its about time."_

Panic racked my system, to this I gripped his hands hard and he looked at me. I felt his hands twine against mine, holding them in place. I tasted the world's cruelty as he spoke the words i dread the most..

.

.

_"Thank You, Sakura."_

My grip on his hands tightened considerably, _"Dont."_ I knew it was his way of saying goodbye. He never thanked me, not that boldly anyway. I pursed my lips my head shaking lightly, recalling Mayori's words, Rukia's anxiety.. i swore to myself._ 'i wont let you die'. _My eyes softened as his dulled over, loosing more of its life. Releasing his translucent hands from my grip, I reached out to touch his raven locks, feeling the Kenseikan that held it in place. Shifting my body, lifting it in place, I pressed my lips on his forehead ignoring the tensed Byakuya beneath me..

_"Forgive me, Byakuya-sama"_ and I wrapped my arms around him tightly, pressing my forehead against his, panicked grey eyes locked with my determined green ones as my hands glowed pink and I whispered... _"Live"_

His eyes widened, knowing what I was about to do. He struggled in my hold, but with his fading strength it was nothing. Gripping my shoulders tight i can hear him speak,

.

_.''Stop this! Sakura, you don't know what you're doing!''_ he snapped, trying to pull free again.

I shook my head once again, momentarily distanced myself and kissed him. A bold move, but I don't care. I kissed him fully on the lips, he didn't respond, and I masked the hurt as I felt him break free. His eyes registered panic which I returned with a smile as I pressed my hand on his chest, a seal glowing in its place.

.

Sakura braced herself, as a tremor racked through her body. She stifled a scream and bit her lips hard drawing blood. Beneath her Byakuya's body was glowing, retaining its former solid form, but she had no time to rejoice as the pain was immense. Cracks appeared on her skin, drawing more pain as they covered her body. Like she was torn piece by piece, the pain increased and a scream worked its way through her clenched teeth as the tears flowed.

.

Byakuya panicked. His chest rose and fell in a manner he couldn't comprehend. He knew what was happening, but he couldn't decide. He felt himself getting stronger, his soul was being replenished, the _hunger _he felt was starting to fade.

I felt my energy leave me, feeling my masters soul solidify I couldn't care less of the pain. Blood trickled down the side of my lips as a pink glow trashed around the room, alarms sounded, red lights blared. Byakuya's heart rate beeped wildy through the monitors . I felt his hands on my shoulders, trying to stop me. For the life of me, I was glad. He was going to make it. He's going to live! The pain increased, like a thousand blades were grinding itself incessantly on my exposed flesh. The cracks marred my skin, making its way through my neck.

I could hear panicked voices approaching the holding cell, the door breaking down. Steps hurriedly making its way in. I felt myself being pulled away from him. _No. No one can stop me!_ I braced myself as the fallen blade rose like a dome, rising as an effective shield, breaking contact with whoever it was who tried to throw me off.

My hands stayed on top of Byakuya's chest as I sent more energy, groaning as the pain escalated a thousand folds. Shards of pink blades danced around the room, thousands upon thousands. I bit my lip hard, drawing blood as cuts made its way through my arms. I keeled over, collapsing on the bedside but shakily caught myself. I held his hand and forced more energy into him. He was trying to break loose, but he couldn't. This bothered me, _'he's strength has not returned to its fullest' _Its not enough, I need more.

My eyes narrowed, _i cant fail now. _With much difficulty I stood up gathering the rest of the blades into one. Byakuya's infamous sword before him, in a flash I stabbed the sword towards his beating heart and it shattered, the particles merging with his now reformed soul as I crashed on top of him. I gripped him tighter, my tears falling in streams. The pain was intense, I could barely speak. As his hand gripped my shoulders, i pushed the last bits of my energy towards his chest.

Byakuya held me. Now strong enough to sit up and hold me against his chest. I could feel his warmth coming back, and I smiled contentedly as coldness filled my being, or what was left of it. I reached to touch his face, and locked eyes with him. His hold on me tightened, the warmth felt good against my cold skin.

.

.

_"Why?" _I heard him whisper. I didn't answer. I smiled again, my hearing beginning to fade. I saw his eyes filled with the pain of betrayal, my heart ached,

.

.

_"Forgive me, for this clear act of disobedience ..Byakuya-sama" _closing my eyes I locked my arms around him. Welcomed the last wave of pain, and heard the crack as I felt my soul disintegrate. Hearing chain links snap, I knew I was dying. I can barely hear him speak. The pain was excruciating, i buried myself deeper in his arms, his hold tightened considerably.. _gently, as if afraid to break something fragile.._ With the last bit of strength, i swallowed the lump in my throat and gathered the courage to speak..

The truth I've hidden for centuries.._"Byakuya.."_ I whispered.. I can feel his heart race as mine slowed.. He was saying something but I can no longer hear him. It appeared urgent, that much I can tell by the way his chest rose and fell. But I was tired.. I closed my eyes with such finality.. as the words left my lips..

.

.

He tried to hold her in place, to keep her there. He felt a prickle in his eyes as his hold went past her. The cuts on her arms became larger, cracks starting to appear on her skin. Her lips opened, and Byakuya's eye's widened at the words. A smile planted itself on her lips as she shattered into a thousand pieces.

.

.

_"..I love you_" she murmured. A smile on her face, Byakuya.

* * *

**authors corner:**

apologizes for the length. thank you VERY MUCH for reading and reviewing. it meant soo much. -bows gratefully-


	3. memories

Lids, wary and tired opened to reveal red orbs that belonged to none other than the head of the Gotei 13, Genryusai Yamamoto. A heavy sigh can be heard as he signed the last of the papers away and set it aside, spinning in his chair to look out of the vast balcony that surrounded his office in the barracks of the first squad.

Rubbing his temples, he looked out of the vastness of Sereitei. Eyeing the clouds in the sky, he noted that they were grey and ashly compared to the pristine blue and the moon that was slowly fading at the breaking of dawn. The peaceful set-up was however short-lived, as he felt the crease in his forehead narrow further as the change in the atmosphere intensified.

A month following _that incident_, Hollows and Menos Grande's have been appearing within the confines of Seiretei. The Gotei 13 could handle them, but it wasn't easy, there were more casualties that they would have wanted to handle. The destructive presence of masked creatures within sereitei wasn't the only problem; several attacks have been made in civilians living in the Rukongai District. Death polls have been rising as Shinigami's rushed in and out of the city to exterminate hollows that come in huge numbers in different places all at the same time.

Demands for increased security has been overflowing, all divisions have been stack-filled with tasks. Apart from all the fighting, the aftermath of the Cero's released by Menos have left great damages at its wake, immediate repairs had to be done simultaneously with all the commotion to keep operations on the go; not to mention the world of the living that needed constant patrol to retain the balance.

Yamamoto-so taichu found himself sighing for the 2nd time that night, pinching the bridge of his nose, he spoke into the empty room "_Sasakibe-ko taichu",_ He spun his seat to stare his lieutenant in the eye. A swift movement indicated the appearance of another man, a crisp serious voice echoed in the walls as he spoke;

_"Hai, Yamamoto-So Taichu" _bowing swiftly, he moved to place a file on top of the steel table.

.

"_The report you have sent for Kurosuchi-Taichu has arrived". _Yamamoto's eyes took on a serious expression as he flipped through the pages of Mayori's research. Red orbs narrowed considerably as he skimmed through the information found in the sheets.

.

**"_They seem to be attracted to a high level reaitsu.."_**

.

'_Spiritual force has always been abundant in Soul Society, that couldn't be the cause of it all'_ The appearance of hollows within Seiretei was a mystery in itself considering that it was virtually impossible as the walls surrounding the city was filled with spirit reducing stones. Captain Kurotsuchi has been assigned to find out the cause; being the genius that he was as head of the Shinigami Research Institute; coming out empty handed was out of the question.

.

**"_..the exchange caused a void, disrupting the balance"_**

.

As he read through the entire report, Yamamoto's aging face turned grim, his eyes oddly still as he reached for his wooden staff.

.

**"_..a high level spiritual energy"_**

**_._**

His voice came out like steel as he spoke _"Sasakibe-ko taichu.." _Yamamoto stood from his seated position and walked towards the balcony. _"Call for Kurotsuchi-Taichu.." _Genryusai could feel the cryptic smile form across Mayori's face as he recalled the words..

**_"._**_.a high level spiritual energy..that is._**_. unsealed."_**

**_._**

Red orbs looked out straight into the sky, as it contorted.. revealing an army of Menos Grande, cero's charging at full blast.

* * *

.

She was gasping and hacking; blood dripping from her lips as she writhed in pain. Her ribs were broken, her skin bruised and marred with cracks.

Her vision was getting blurry as her breathing sounded like rasped coughing. It was so hard to breathe that she unconsciously started to cry. She could hear hushed voices but could not make out their words, the ringing in her ears made her head hurt she wanted to smash it to pieces.

She was in so much pain she couldn't even scream. _How long has it been? _She had no knowledge of time, only that the pain never stopped.. not even a mere second. She wanted to talk, but found it hard to do so. She wanted to stop the pain, she wanted to just die, but she knew it will never come.

.

"_..the consequences are grave"_

_._

Streams of hot tears cascaded down her bloodied cheeks, intensifying the pain as they crossed the painful cracks that cursed her existence. Her vision was hazy, clouded.. but her skin was hypersensitive, making the pain much more horrible than it already was.

She coughed up more blood, in the mist that seemed to surround her, she saw a flash of _green.. teal green.._ and _grey.?. _She felt cold hands at the side of her face, drying up her tears..

.

" _w-who.. ar—are.. y-you? " _

She managed to choke within coughs. I couldn't make out the reply, the tone of his voice hinted that he was male. I coughed once more, feeling the rusty taste against my tongue. I felt cold hands brush against the skin of my forehead and the lingering color of grey eyes peering over mine.

My vision started to darken. and along with it I felt him close the distance..

.

that last thing I recall was the warm breath against the skin of my mouth as I drifted off into darkness.

* * *

There was something odd about the way I awoke that morning. The futon I was lying on felt stiff against my back. And the temperature was all wrong, it was _warm. _The Kuchiki-estate has always been cold, much like the holding cell I was kept in for months.

I stretched my arms and legs, groaning as I felt them tug. As soon as I woke up, after a long time of inactiveness, Soul Society is in a situation much worse than I've last seen. Hollows have been appearing inside seiretei. I figured out soon enough that I could still use _Zenbon Sak-.. My Zanpaktous abilities._

Numerous fights with hollows proved that however, using bankai was a different topic altogether. Sighing, I made the move to sit, reaching out to throw the covers off when I found none. I felt the futon yet ended up touching a cold-hard surface. My eyes swept across the room as I tried to piece together my half-conscious mind.

That was when I realized that I was not in the Kuchiki Estate. And this was the last place I should be. I bolted from my sitting position and instinctively reached out to grab the hilt of my katana, before I could even unsheathe my sword my hands froze in place as I drank in my surroundings..

.

'_this place..'_

_._

The familiar shoji doors, the huge chest that pretty much looked like a coffin, _to which Byakuya will never admit_; the shelves of books that lined the left side of the wall, discarded masks on a heap by the window; _most of all_ the Cherry blossom trees that peeked through the gap within the opened shoji doors. Byakuya's eyes softened at the familiarity.

.

'This is where I attained Bankai.."_You think you can wield me? Break my mask Kuchiki Byakuya."_

_Back then, Zenbonzakura appeared as a masked samurai, in full body armor. His long hair was tied with a red bow, that appeared to be brown in color. The mask muffled her voice to such a degree, I wasn't able to figure out she was a woman. _

_._

Taking a deep calming breath, I allowed my posture to relax. Remembering all the times I've spent training with _her _in this very same place, in my inner world. The moment I learned "_his" name, we've been training for days on end, mastering bankai. _

I avoided coming back to this place, but waking up here, I decided to just let things go for once and breathe in the memories. I slipped on my sandals and turned towards the door, sliding them open to reveal the grassy fields. Dawn was breaking over the canopy of Sakura trees, in this place.. _they never wilt; it was always spring._

_._

_Hisana loved the cherry blossoms_., it was a tribute on her memory.

.

I stepped out in the grassy field, walking about as I spotted the _onzen_ vaguely visible against the far corner of the wall concealing it. A light tinge of pink appeared on Byakuya's pale face as he willed the memories of His zanpaktou happily spending the night on that very same _onzen,_ kissed by the rays of thepale moonlight, _completely.. unguarded. _That was the second time I met my zanpaktou, for who _HE really was_. I resisted the urge to reach for my cheeks, knowing that the red marks from that day have long been gone.

.

And since then, she has never worn her mask and that ridiculously huge armor that was thrice heavier than it looked. I felt a smile tug at my lips, knowing this place was secured to just the two of us I allowed the smile to linger.

.

As I walked further, breathing in the scent of cherry blossoms my eyes zeroed in on one of the tree studs; that familiar dent where _Saku—where she threw_ her gloves in anger. I shook my head at the memory. Her temper was unbelievable at times, and the thought of a mere glove leaving a dent wherever it landed, I was glad she was my Zanpaktou. She's one strong spirit, but really.. sometimes i wonder where she got her personality from.. she's extremely _playful._

_._

_._

Once performing a jinzen, Byakuya ended up in a spar with his Zanpakuto. Tackled by a _very active _Sakura. Byakuya will never understand when this game of "_kenseikan" _began, for lack of better words, Sakura named it that way as she made a habit to try and steal those hair-clips each time he visits this world.

.

.

Aside from that, his Zanpakuto has an _annoying _habit of materializing in her physical form, _as a woman,_ none-the-less and following him around Soul Society, causing a commotion as she disrupte male shinigami's from work not mention the danger she brings to civilians as hollows who were attracted to her huge levels of spiritual force tend to attack. To settle the problem once and for all, Byakuya engaged his zanpakuto in a duel.

.

.

Byakuya had abandoned his long range attacks and gone for close range fighting. Sakura then, thought she had an advantage at this point, brute strength and all, smirking, she put up one hell of a fight, but he eventually maneuvered them so that he was completely pinning Sakura down into the soft cushion of grass.

His black kimono partly loosened, the white garment underneath opened wider than it should have. The full weight of his body was pressing her down, He was straddling her hips and pinning down her legs with his shins. Sakura's cheek turned a bright shade of pink as Byakuya's arms pressed against the soft flesh of her forearms as he trapped her hands above her head. The rapid press of his chest against hers as she struggled to breathe made her dizzy.

Byakuya was aware of his Zanpakuto's strength, he knew that holding her down one handed was not possible, so he was holding her wrists on each side of her head. Grey clashed with emerald as he leaned closer, daring her to move, their noses were practically touching. Sakura glared at him despite the knowledge of her cheeks turning a bright shade of red. She struggled further, but Byakuya was immovable, he hadn't even used any binding spell! Indeed, a zanpakuto takes from their master, _where would sakura's strength have come from?_

_._

_._

"_fine! I yield, I yield!" _a scowl forming on his zanpakuto's face. Smirking, Byakuya stood up and reached a hand out to her. Sakura grabbed his outstretched arm and they found themselves standing nose to nose with each other, Byakuya mentally noted a blush tinted his Zanpakuto's cheeks, it reminded him of cherry blossoms and a few strands of pink hair escaped from her loose ponytail, swiftly moving his hands he loosened her red bow, felt the strands of her hair in his hands and nodded in approval. They've always been soft.. running his hands through her hair's length he gently braided them and secured it in place. All the while oblivious to the proximity of their bodies against each other.

.

"_Sometimes I wonder, if you are a girl.. Sakura." _Evading a punch to the arm, Byakuya walked away swiftly, a ghost of a smirk in his handsome face,_ "keep your word. No more sneaking out"_ and he disappeared, looking back to see his zanpakuto who happens to be smiling happily at the _Kenseikan_ that held her pink locks in place.

.

.

This place reminds me so much of her. She's one strong Zanpakuto, I was then low on reiatsu that I had to switch to melee combat. Having her for a zanpakuto is most convenient, however the thought of her being a girl has troubled me the most. I felt the crease in my forehead deepen as my grandfather's words rang in my ears..

_"A zanpaktou's shape and abilities are based on their shinigami's soul. Once a shinigami learns his swords name, they are able to communicate with one another and grow stronger together. " _that much I know.

.

_"They are born with their shinigami and they die with their shinigami."_ Byakuya froze.

.

.

**_..die with their shinigami? _**

_._

_Zenbon.. Sakura.. _my eyes snapped at the memory and I felt my body stiffen as it shifted in break neck speed and I felt myself dash back inside.

.

.

"_is she.." _my heart thumped wildly against my chest as an emotion I cant give a name to choked me with such intensity I found myself swallowing. As my throat cleared and I stood still, the wide chest loomed before me. My hand involuntarily reached out to open its closed lids. I clenched my fist and closed my eyes, uncertain of how I'd feel if _its no longer there._

_._

_._

I reached for the lid once more and with one swift movement my hands moved to open the lid. And there, right before my eyes was Zenbon Sakura's Armor.

* * *

_"..are you certain about this, Kurotsuchi-taichu?"_

_"hai.. Yamamoto-so taichu"_ and his eyes gleamed in excitement. A resigned sigh escaped Yamamoto's lips as he gave the command.

_"Well then, we will begin the instant he returns"_

"_Hai, I will do the necessary preparations"_ bowing swiftly, Mayori exited the assembly hall where all the other captains were gathered, save for one.

"_Old man Yama, are you sure about this?_"

"_We have no other choice. It is the best for soul society."_

* * *

I crouched down, kneeling before it. "_This being intact can only mean one thing.."_

_she's still alive. __She's still here somewhere._

My hands traced the worn armor, effectively removing the dust as I went along until I saw one of her masks, its side marred with a large crack.

I closed my eyes and reached out to close the lid, making a resolution.

.

.

"_I will find you, Zenbon Sakura."_

_._

As it snapped shut, Byakuya's figure stilled when the atmosphere within destabilized. Turning back, he saw the wall crumble to a sucking portal tearing the dimension into shreds revealing an army of menos grande wrecking havoc in Sereitei.

* * *

As Byakuya closed the lid of the crest and went back to the real world. A figure in light purple samurai kimono walked silently across the room; opening the chest his grey eyes scanned its contents. Finding what he was looking for, pale hands reached out and closed in on the cold object. Staring down as it glowed in the moonlight, a soft smile graced his lips, with the closing of the chest, the figure disappeared into the dawn.

* * *

**Authors Corner:**

hands out ByaSaku cookies.

_**with all of my beating heart.. thank you soooo much ** _for all who _alerted, faved, read_ and **_reviewed._**

It means so much to hear your thoughts about the fic. -bows gratefully- when you guys ask questions and express how you feel i feel so glad.

Thank you for existing. ^_^ -claps-

**Question**: Hows the fic going so far? i wanna know what you guys think. -smiles-_  
_

-**Pilar Ann 3**


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